INTERNATIONAL COMMUNIST SEMINAR BRUSSELS

Youth Problems in Malta

Firstly I must thank the Workers Party of Belgium on behalf of the Communist Party of Malta, for inviting the Party to participate in this seminar.

Malta being a small island state has its own particular problems as, every other island, this stems mainly from insularity. Youths in Malta find it more difficult other then youths living in European Union, because of various problematic conditions, amongst them the lack of facilities, and funds spent on education, and other basic requirements like sport, culture, and other social and recreational needs

As a political organization, The Communist Party of Malta, feels that one of the major problems with youth in Malta, is total alienation from political activity. This alienation is systematic and carefully controlled, by the mass media which the big corporations have under their tight control. Again when a youth becomes politically aware and class conscious, through no consequences of their own, they are imbued with negative propaganda the enemies of socialism had seen fit to brainwash them through the education system, and the mass media. With propagandistic speculations, about the mistakes committed under the socialist system, that existed in the USSR and Eastern Europe prior to 1987. Resulting from this, youths in Malta today, are more ready to fight for rights of animals, then for rights of the working classes.

Of course environment and animal rights are important issues as well, but the fight for change and for socialism is equally, and even more important, as only under a Socialist system where maximum profits are not the aims, but the well being of each individual, and the improvement of the quality of life, environment is safeguarded and animal rights are ensured.

Another form of alienation that youths fall victim for, is drug abuse and addiction, along with alcoholism afflict youth in Malta giving a rise to juvenile crime and other social ills that are common in today’s society. Brought about, by the Neo Liberal phase, of this post cold war epoch. This can be combated by more awareness of the harmful effects and the promotion of sports and athletics among youths killing two birds with one stone, as this will lessen obesity amongst youths, which brings about coronary diseases in later life.

Employment is one of the major problems that school leavers face. Unemployment is the first stumbling block. In the November 2008 official statistics for those youths unemployed was in the range of 5.8% for males and 4.1% for females. Those gainfully employed find that they also face various problems varying from getting a mismatched job to what they had studied and obtained and obtained a university degree for. Other problems are those of exploitation which is rampant in Malta. Most of the new jobs created, are given under a definite contract whereby a person is employed without the benefits of a regular job, vocational leave and sick leave are not part of the employee entitlement, extra hours are not paid as overtime, and most of the times not paid at all. Jobs are terminated at the whim of the employer, when a worker is not required any longer, he is unceremoniously told not to report to work, always within the limits of what the law specifies. The Main culprit is the government. Another plague is part time employment whereby the worker is not entitled to anything except the pittance the worker receives as pay. A worker is considered to be a part time worker if his working hour week does not exceed 20hrs Mobility of workers within the EU was usurped by the big corporations instead of an unemployed worker seeking a job with the same conditions in another EU country, is being interpreted by the European Court of Justice as the right of mobility of inferior conditions from one country to another.

These problems will grow with the present economic crises that the capitalist world is undergoing. This crises brought about by the neo liberals is deep rooted and will only be defeated the attainment of Socialism where individuals and not markets are free.

Towards this aim is our goal and we should strive harder to make today’s youths politically conscious so they will be instrumental in bringing socialism taking example from the experiment that is going in the Southern American Continent. Where Socialism, is triumphing over the U.S. imperialism which in previous decades held sway over the destinies of the countries forming this continent. We should win over support especially from the youths to continue on the same path till Socialism is universal in each an every country of the globe.